We only found the gardens by chance on the local map provided at reception of the hotel – aim for the Palacio de Congresos, cross the small road alongside, through some rough ground and you will find some signs eventually! It is about a mile and a half, so not easy if you are not nifty on your feet, but there is a road for vehicles and once on site it is easy to get around most of it.There are no leaflets anywhere that we could find, and no mention by tour reps, yet it is one of the best Botanical Gardens we have seen.
What a great way to spend a few hours and best of all, it is only 1 Euro entrance fee each. Beautiful old buildings, once a flour mill but now renovated to display equipment related to the mill. If you love pressing buttons on displays, there are lots of miniature models with a button to get them moving. There are little concrete mill wheels turning and rolling around concrete grinding stones.
No hothouses are needed here as the whole site is in a dip, sheltered from excessive wind and rain so making the most of the heat and energy from the Mediterranean sun. No shortage of fascinating shapes, sizes and ranges of trees or shrubs, the whole site incorporating spectacular water features at every turn of the path.
There are little themed areas dotted around the site, from Japanese Zen garden and fish ponds to ancient Greek statues and an easy-to-follow maze. It is an exceptionally peaceful oasis on the edge of the town, well maintained, and a fantastic opportunity to experience unusual shapes and patterns of diverse natural, landscaped gardens in Southern Spain.
